


You’ve Still Got Your Story, Tell It Every Morning.

by akasharpiegirl



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming
Genre: Angst, Fix It Fic, Fluff, Gen, IronDad and SpiderSon, Irondad, Morgan Stark Needs a Hug, Not Canon Compliant, Peter Parker is a good big brother, Superfamily, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 22:18:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18860224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akasharpiegirl/pseuds/akasharpiegirl
Summary: Morgan Stark, a 15 year old junior in high school, overhears some kids talking about how Tony Stark is disappointed in her because she hasn’t graduated high school by now. She starts to isolate herself from her parents and brother, and she quits trying in school because of those kids.Title is inspired by Silhouettes by Colony House!





	You’ve Still Got Your Story, Tell It Every Morning.

The bell rang for third period so Morgan grabbed her Algebra II textbook and notebook and found her route upstairs to class. 

Taking a second to breathe after she got to the top of the stairs, Morgan found her way to Miss. Gonzalez’s classroom and to her seat. The room was bustling with anxious students, there’s an exam today. She was thankful that this was the last class she had before lunch.

“There was a test today?”, one kid questioned from the back.

“Bet Morgan remembered,” another said. “She's Miss. G’s favorite just because of who she's related to.”

Morgan rolled her eyes, trying to suppress the want to snap back. She looked up at the board, seeing that there were review problems up, so she quickly completed them on a scratch sheet of paper.

“Good morning, class. As a friendly reminder for my classroom, if you can't be kind, be quiet. Oh and to answer your wondering questions, there is an exam today, and I assume, since you're in an advanced placement course, you would care enough about your school career to keep track of your various assignments and exams, so please be more attendant to your school schedule next time around. Finish the review problems and then I’ll hand out exams,” Miss. Gonzalez greeted the class. 

At the end of class, Morgan handed her paper into the box, and headed down to the cafeteria for lunch. She sat down next to her best friend, Adrianna, after grabbing a tray of food. 

The two talked for a little while until Morgan started to overhear the same two kids from her third block, Madi and Kadyn, talking about her from the table directly over. 

“Who does she think she is?”, Kadyn asked.

“It's not like she could create a circuit board at four or graduate college as young as her dad did,” Madi rambled.

“She'll never be as successful as her Dad, there's absolutely no possible way Morgan could be more successful than Tony Stark,” Kadyn said.

“So why is she trying?”, Madi asked. “I really don't get how she's his daughter. It doesn't make any sense. I feel bad for her, at least we don't have someone that successful to grow up in the shadow of.”

“Morgan, are you okay-”, Adrianna tried to calm a blatantly obvious upset Morgan.

Morgan ignored the question with a ‘yes’ nod, stuffing her face with the crappy cheeseburger that she had gotten to eat today. 

And even though she tried, those statements swarmed through her brain all throughout her last three classes, wearing her confidence down minute by minute. 

“Maybe I just shouldn't try,” Morgan said to herself as the end of school bell rang. 

\-------

“Hey kid, how’d school and practice go?”, Tony asked when Morgan walked into the house.

Morgan grimaced, took a deep breath and said, “It was good. We took our unit test in algebra. Nailed it. Practice was fine, we’re finishing up routines for our first competition that’s coming up. Oh, and I also have a project in my economics class.” Part of it was a lie. She did nail that exam. She is finishing up routines at the studio. All of that was true. She did have homework, but not in economics, and she definitely wasn't going to be turning in homework again anytime soon. But that big project, that was a lie. 

Tony smiled, “Ah, okay. Let me know if you need any help. Love you three thousand.”

Morgan nodded, mouthing the common family phrase back, before running upstairs and finding the comfort of her empty room. How long can a project lie go though? 

About a week had passed by then. The comments had only gotten worse by then, only making her feel worse. Morgan felt like a complete and utter disappointment to her parents.

Morgan’s phone rang, breaking the piercing silence that filtered through her room. “It’s an avocado, thanks” was the ringtone she had set for Peter and that was what was playing. She rolled her eyes and even though she didn’t want to talk, she answered anyway. 

After she answered the call, nobody said anything. For a solid minute. 

Peter sighed, “So, how about that weather?”

“It’s hot, it’s pollinated, and I can barely breathe. Why’d you call me?”, Morgan asked.

“We haven’t talked in a week, that’s not normal. Just wanted to make sure you’re doing okay?”, Peter asked. 

“I’m fine, just have a lot of homework,” Morgan lied. “Haven’t had time to talk that much. Did Dad make you ask that?”

“Does that matter?”, Peter asked. 

“Because,” Morgan stated.

“Because why?”, Peter asked. 

It was silent again for a moment.

“Morgan? Is everything really okay?”, Peter asked.

“Yeah. Everything’s wonderful,” Morgan answered blatantly. “Just stop asking me about it, okay?”

“Geez, I was just trying to make sure you were okay. Which it’s obvious you’re isolating yourself for a reason,” Peter sighed again. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. But you’re going to have to tell someone eventually.”

Without another word, the line went dead.

Five days had passed since then. 

Morgan couldn't bring herself to lie that day. So she spent time with her dad about an hour before she had to go to dance. But she barely spoke, barely quipped with any ideas when they were working in the lab together. 

“Pep?”, Tony asked upon entering the living room after dropping Morgan off at dance.

Pepper looked up from her computer to her husband, Tony sat down next to her on the couch.

“Has Morgan been… Distant with you?”, Tony asked. “Today was the first time in almost two weeks that she's actually spent time with me. Even then she wasn't herself.”

Pepper’s eyes widened at the question. “Now that I think about it, yes. Why?”

“Almost two weeks ago on a Friday, she told me she had some big project that she had to work on after school. On the Tuesday following that Friday, she said she turned it in and then every single day since then she's had homework. Except for today. She takes advanced placement classes, but this isn't normal, even for AP,” Tony said. “Even on weekends, she's distant.”

“You think something happened at school?”, Pepper asked.

“I mean it's possible, I guess,” Tony answered.

“Have you asked Peter about it? You think he'd know anything? Morgan tells him everything,” Pepper asked.

“Yeah, I asked him. And, no, he has no idea,” Tony answered, followed by a sigh of frustration. “He tried to talk to her, she dismissed it and asked him to quit bringing it up.”

The next day had arrived.

“Mrs. Stark? You've got an incoming call from Morgan's school, the vice principal is on the line,” FRIDAY alerted Pepper. 

Pepper picked up her phone and answered the call. 

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Stark, I hope you've had a good day,” Ms. Grove greeted Pepper.

“To you as well, Ms. Grove. Is everything okay?”, Pepper asked, sitting down at her desk.

“Morgan didn't get in trouble, at least not with another student. I went in to print out progress reports for Morgan’s homeroom. And saw some radical numbers next to her name,” Ms. Grove explained. 

“High? Low? What type of grades?”, Pepper asked.

“Morgan's grades are slipping all of the sudden. She went from perfect hundreds and 110s to zeroes, bringing all but two of her grades down to failing,” Ms. Grove explained. “Some of her teachers have asked her about it and all she says to explain it is stress.”

“What?”, Pepper asked. “What are her grades right now?”

“In her first period, AP English, it's a fifty-three. Second, AP Physics, it's a sixty-four. Third, AP Algebra II, Is a forty-nine. Fourth, AP Economics, sixty-one. And uh, her fifth period, which is an elective, dance and baton, she's passing. Business and technology II, her sixth, she's also passing,” Ms. Grove explained. 

“When was the last time she got a good grade back in each class?”, Pepper asked.

“Uh, two weeks on Friday,” Ms. Grove explained.

Two weeks? “That’s the same day she stopped spending time with Tony after practices,” Pepper mumbled at the realization. “I’ll talk to her about it. Will she be able to make everything up?”

“Depending on the circumstances, that may be possible,” Ms. Grove said.

“Thank you, Ms. Grove,” Pepper answered.

“Of course, have a good rest of your day,” Ms. Grove said before the line went dead.

“Hey FRIDAY? Can you let Tony know that we need to have a talk with Morgan after her practice tonight?”, Pepper asked as she continued her previous work.

“Yes ma'am,” FRIDAY answered.

\------

Tony heard Morgan’s baton solo music, Silhouettes by Colony House, playing inside her room, so he knocked. “Can I talk to you, Mo?”

There wasn't a response. 

“Uh, alright then,” Tony mumbled to himself, opening the door to Morgan’s room. Tony watched as Morgan caught a one spin toss, she was completely unaware of Tony’s presence. “Kid, Earth to Morgan.”

Morgan turned around at the second comment, taking a breath in, trying to hide some type of grimace. “What do you want?”, Morgan asked, turning off the song, sitting down on her bed, laying her baton down next to her.

“Your Mom got a call from your school today,” Tony answered. “Is everything okay?”

Morgan’s eyes widened. “Everything is fine, Dad.”

“Yeah?”, Tony asked, knowing he wasn't going to get a real answer for a while.

“Mhm,” Morgan hummed.

“Your weird grades seem to disagree with that statement,” Tony said, sitting down next to Morgan. 

“What are you talking about?”, Morgan asked, knowing all too well the changes in her grades. 

“You've got failing grades in all but two of your classes, I know you know that,” Tony answered. “That's not like you. What's going on, Morgan?”

“Fine, yeah my grades are slipping. It’s not a big deal, I’ll pick it up. Dad, I promise!”, Morgan answered, tears welling in her eyes. 

“We still need to know what's got you acting this way. You don't ever let your grades slip, not willingly,” Tony looked at Morgan. “Did something happen at school? I'm only asking because I love you and seeing you suffer makes me hurt. Your Mom feels the same way.”

Morgan saw tears fall down her face. “I can't… I can't tell you that.”

“I’m sorry, Elaborate on that. You can't tell me?”, Tony raised his eyebrow the second he heard Morgan’s statement. “I’m your Dad. If you're scared to tell me something I've done something wrong.”

Morgan looked at Tony, shaking her head, “No it's not…it’s not that.. It's just... Dammit, I don't know.”

“Can you at least talk to Mom about it?”, Tony asked.

“She's going to just tell you anyways,” Morgan stated, facepalming. 

“That may be so but it's always easier to tell someone about what you're going through, keeping it in isn't going to help,” Tony said. “If it's difficult to talk to me or even your brother about this and easier to talk to Mom, then talk to her. Just know that you can always talk to me.”

Morgan nodded. ‘But what if it's about the fact that I'm not going to be as successful as you?’, Morgan thought to herself. “I'll talk to her.”

“Good.” Tony stood up, heading toward the door. “Have you eaten anything since you got home from practice?”

Morgan shook her head ‘yes’, “Yeah but I kinda want ice cream or something.”

“I'll make sure Pep brings up a juice pop for you in a bit, okay?”, Tony said as he left, closing the door behind him.

“God, this is going to be awkward,” Morgan mumbled to herself. 

A few minutes later, Pepper came through the door to Morgan’s room, two juice pops in her hand. “Hey, Morgan. Dad told me you wouldn't talk to him but you'd talk to me, so… What's up, kiddo? Did something happen at school?” 

Pepper sat next to Morgan and handed her a mango juice pop. 

“Short answer?”, Morgan paused. “Yeah.”

“What about the long answer?”, Pepper asked.

“I overheard two students during my lunch break,” Morgan paused, trying to keep herself from crying. “And they, uh… They said I should be ashamed.”

Pepper’s eyes widened. “Ashamed of what, honey?”

“The fact that I haven't been as… Haven't been as successful as Dad, and won't ever be. He understood… He understood how a circuit board worked far quicker than I did at that age. He was four, I was ten. Ten minus four, that’s six. It took me six more years to do that. I'm not… I’m not graduating from MIT at seventeen. I'm not even sure I’m going to be accepted when I do apply once I graduate high school next year!”, Morgan quickly stated, tears falling down as she finished her juice pop. 

“Slow down, Mo, slow down. Take your time to talk, it's okay,” Pepper tried to calm Morgan. 

“Point blank, I feel like I’m always going to be in Dad’s shadow. I already am,” Morgan blatantly stated between sobs. “And so I just… Stopped trying little by little.”

“Oh, Morgan…”, Pepper sighed, hearing her daughter cry into her shirt. “I can see why you didn’t want to talk to him about that. What exactly did those kids say?”

“I really.. Really don't get how she's his daughter. It doesn't… Doesn’t make any sense. I feel bad for her, at least we don't…. We don't have someone that successful to grow up in the shadow of,” Morgan quoted one kid, still crying. “It's not like she could create a circuit board at four or graduate college as young as her dad did.”

There was silence for a moment, “It only got worse after that, and that’s when I completely stopped.”

Morgan could hear her Mom’s breathing quicken when Morgan quoted the kids from two weeks ago. 

And Pepper’s blood was boiling. 

“Do you know these kids?”, was all Pepper managed to say. 

“Yeah, they're… They're in my algebra and physics classes. Madi and Kadyn,” Morgan mumbled.

 

\--------

“Some kids, Madi and Kadyn, embedded it into her brain that she'll always live in your shadow,” Pepper said upon entering the living room. “And that she should be ashamed that she's not as smart as you were at her age. So she stopped caring, that's why her grades have taken such a hit.”

“Are you serious?”, Tony asked. “That's why she didn't want to explain it to me?”

“Apparently so,” Pepper answered.

“That pisses me off. Not her, those kids,” Tony muttered. “I should've known that people would expect that of her…. God, that's not right.”

“It's not,” Pepper agreed.

Tony mumbled something before calling for Morgan, “Hey, Morgan? Can you come downstairs?”

Morgan found her way downstairs a few moments later. “You know I really don't want to talk about this.”

“Yeah, we know. Come sit with us,” Pepper waved over Morgan, there was a spot in between Tony and her on the couch for Morgan. 

Morgan hesitantly sat there, knowing just based on Tony’s facial expression alone that Pepper had already told him. 

“I’m sorry,” Morgan mumbled. 

“What for?”, Tony asked. “I get it, I do.”

“No you don't, Dad! I couldn’t tell you. Have you forgotten who you are? You're Tony Stark. I'm your daughter, you don't know what it's like to be constantly compared to someone in your family,” Morgan yelled. “I try so hard to avoid hearing stuff like that but when people say it so close in earshot where that's all I can hear aside from faint conversation around the room and my own thoughts, those words can't escape. They've been floating in my brain for two weeks! Newer comments only made it worse!”

“I do know how that feels,” Tony answered, accidentally raising his voice slightly.

“That's not possible,” Morgan snapped.

“It is. When I was young, I was constantly ridiculed for not being good enough in one way or another… By my own father. News outlets too. And you know what? People constantly compared me to him. Even still. Especially when we announced that Pepper was pregnant with you. And with what I know about how much I, unfortunately, am like my father, what tabloids and random parenting blogs said about me becoming a father scared me.” 

“I still feel bad,” Morgan mumbled. “I shouldn't have overreacted. I should've kept up my grades so I can prove them wrong, not right.” 

“You still can prove them wrong,” Pepper nodded. “If we explain to the principals why your grades slipped, you can make up your work. But may I ask? Did you actually do the homework you were actually assigned?”

“Yeah,” Morgan answered. 

Tony and Pepper couldn't help but laugh at that. 

“Definitely my kid right there,” Tony smiled. “But Morgan?”

Morgan looked at her Dad, “Yeah?”

“I could never be ashamed of you and you definitely shouldn't be ashamed of yourself based on what you haven't discovered or done yet. You haven't seen that yet. The future isn't here, you're okay, you’ll accomplish great things-” Tony tried to state. 

“But what if I can't? What if I never discover something new? What if I can’t move on after high school or college?”, Morgan interrupted Tony. 

“It’s because I know you, Morgan,” Tony said. “You’re Morgan Hope Stark, an incredibly bright kid. You know more than me, which freaks me out sometimes if I’m honest. I still remember the day you were working on your econ homework, the two of us listening to Hamilton, while I was working on my own thing in the lab. Remember that?”

Morgan laughed, “You couldn’t figure out how to fix Peter’s suit after he had a run in with some Kree. Cause what they did to it kept the suit from working properly. I looked up and fixed it almost immediately. I knew how to fix it because Carol told me what their abilities can hinder.”

“Yeah!”, Tony laughed. “That’s my point. You’re smart, you’re intelligent. You work hard at everything you do. If you bring those grades up and keep them up, which I know you can and will, you will go far.”

“Just because you haven't graduated high school yet or taken more college classes by now doesn't mean you're doomed. Peter graduated high school at 18, that’s fairly normal. And he’s the second smartest kid I know. Right there behind you, kiddo. Your Dad, Peter, and I will be right by your side through it all,” Pepper answered. 

“I’ll fix my grades, but don’t get involved. Please? Either of you. I can handle this myself,” Morgan asked.

“Not making any promises,” Tony answered.

“Dad, please,” Morgan sighed. 

“Fine, I promise I won’t,” Tony said, Pepper and Tony exchanged a look. Pepper was definitely going to get involved.

\-------

The Wednesday following the talk with her parents, all of her grades were back to normal, she had straight As again. 

“Good job picking up those grades, Morgan,” Miss. Gonzales said as she laid a returned test on Morgan’s desk.

“Miss. Gonzales, do you have Morgan Stark, Kadyn O’Brien, and Madi Hart in your class right now?”, the secretary’s voice filtered through the classroom.

“Yes ma’am, I do,” Miss. Gonzales answered.

“I told him not to intervene,” Morgan mumbled as she waited for the request to head toward the front office. 

“Can you send them to the front office? It'll only take ten minutes or so,” the secretary asked.

“Yes ma'am I will,” Miss. Gonzalez answered. 

“Good luck,” Adrianna whispered to Morgan as she walked out of the class.

Morgan could hear the confused and nervous comments from Kadyn and Madi, meanwhile, she knew exactly what was going on.

Or so she thought. She could see Tony, Pepper, and Peter standing in the front office.

Morgan let out an extremely long sigh when she made eye contact with each of them, eyes narrowing at her Dad. “I told you not to get involved, you promised,” she greeted. 

“Tony promised, we didn't,” Pepper answered, pointing at Peter. She looked back at Tony, “He won't be speaking in this meeting.”

Tony raised his hand slightly, “Uh, yeah, actually I will.”

Pepper and Peter have him a glare.

Tony jumped back slightly, seeing his eldest child and his wife practically preparing to kill him if he spoke another word. “Fine, I won't then. Morgan, want to grab some ice cream at the Baskin Robbins down the road?”

“Sure?”, Morgan answered.

“Yeah, you guys go. We’ll handle this,” Pepper answered.

Morgan looked at Kadyn and Madi, smirking, “Good luck.”

Morgan and Tony walked into Baskin Robbins a few minutes later. Her solo song was playing as the father daughter pair arrived. 

Tony looked at his daughter after a lyric was sung, “You should listen to your solo music, y’know that? You still have a story, tell it every morning. Don’t let some stupid shadow some kids and news outlets put on you. You’re you, your own person.”

“Yeah, I should,” Morgan said, looking up at the now open order counter, seeing a familar face.

Scott waved to Tony and Morgan as the duo walked up. “Hi guys! Wait, why are you here, Morgan? You have school today.”

“I, uh, some kids attempted to ruin my future so Mom and Peter are at the school giving them hell,” Morgan answered. “Dad promised he wouldn’t interfere so he just came to pick me up.”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Tony agreed. “Also, you’re still working here? I thought you quit.”

“Oh no, that’s so mean! Is everything better now?”, Scott asked. “And no, I didn’t. I thought about it but the extra income helps keep us from losing our place, which has happened before.”

“Yep,” Morgan answered Scott’s question. 

“You know you and your family can stay with us whenever you need. We’ve got two extra rooms,” Tony answered. 

“Thanks for the offer, Tony! But it’s not gotten that difficult yet, but I’ll keep you updated,” Scott answered. “Usual for the both of you?”

Morgan nodded and so did Tony.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic on AO3! I hope you enjoyed it! My tumblr is also akasharpiegirl! This idea was shared between me and my best friend. We took two different approaches to it, so if you want to check hers out, her Tumblr is whyisloki! (I honestly don’t know if she’ll actually post it, but if she does, go show her some love!)


End file.
